Israel stops Gaza aid to pressure Hamas to accept new ceasefire proposal
Global News
The first phase of the ceasefire, which included a surge in humanitarian assistance, expired on Saturday but a second phase has yet to be negotiated.
Israel stopped the entry of all goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip on Sunday and warned of “additional consequences” if Hamas doesn’t accept a new proposal to extend a fragile ceasefire.
Hamas accused Israel of trying to derail the existing ceasefire agreement and said its decision to cut off aid was “cheap extortion, a war crime and a blatant attack” on the truce, which took hold in January after more than a year of negotiations. Both sides stopped short of saying the ceasefire had ended.
The first phase of the ceasefire, which included a surge in humanitarian assistance, expired on Saturday. The two sides have yet to negotiate the second phase, in which Hamas was to release dozens of remaining hostages in return for an Israeli pullout and a lasting ceasefire.
Egypt, which has served as a key mediator between Israel and Hamas, condemned the closure and accused Israel of using “starvation as a weapon.” Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty called for the immediate implementation of Phase 2 of the existing ceasefire agreement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that under the existing agreements Israel could resume fighting after the first phase if it believed negotiations were ineffective. He said the ceasefire would only continue if Hamas kept releasing hostages, telling his Cabinet that “there will be no free lunches.” He said Israel was “full coordinated” with President Donald Trump’s administration.
There was no immediate comment from the United States on the proposal announced by Israel or its decision to cut off aid.
Hundreds of aid trucks have entered Gaza daily since the ceasefire began on Jan. 19. But residents said prices doubled on Sunday as word of the closure spread and people raced to stock up.
“Everyone is worried,” said Sayed al-Dairi, a man living in Gaza City. “This is not a life.”
Lawmakers from both parties said Sunday they support congressional reviews of recent U.S. military strikes against vessels suspected of smuggling drugs.
Hundreds more are missing following flooding and landslides in the past week, which killed at least 604 people in Indonesia, 366 in Sri Lanka and 176 in Thailand, authorities said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other U.S. officials held talks with a Ukrainian delegation to further hash out the details of a proposed peace framework.